episode_0099

“Did I say something wrong?”

“What the… Ha, hahaha…”

I barely suppressed the curse that reflexively erupted at Viscount Torington’s nonsense, and instead, a laugh escaped because it was so absurd.

“Haa…”

I felt a throbbing in the back of my neck.

I thought he was just a quiet guy because he had been silently standing alone, but he was just crazy.

“……”

“D, Dom, please calm down, I’m okay, okay?”

As I glared murderously at Viscount Torington while fidgeting with my gloves, Emily, sensing my unusual mood, gently hugged my arm and hurriedly stopped me.

I held back once for Emily’s sake.

And because of the class system, anyway.

Getting angry at a noble’s rude remarks to a commoner would only make me look like the weird one.

“… I am willing to accept any criticism directed at me, but please stop making unfounded accusations against my maid; Emily is also a servant carefully selected by the Hume family after rigorous screening.”

But I couldn’t just let it go, so

“Then, if thrusting her chest out so vulgarly and fawningly isn’t something a harlot does, what is it?”

“Crack…”

The sound of my molars grinding together sharply pierced my ears.

I knew it was a ploy to anger me and make me take drastic action, but being insulted along with Emily and my family was hard to bear.

Emily, whom I consider family, is a lewd harlot, and we are lunatics who cherish such a harlot?

“Haa-”

I sighed and slipped my left fingers into the gap of my right-hand glove.

Just as I was about to take off the glove and throw it at the person in front of me.

“That’s a very interesting opinion, I heard you saying that the Imperial Knights are fools who allow harlots into the Imperial Palace.”

“… Elizabeth?”

Princess Elizabeth’s voice cut through our exchange.

It wasn’t the right time for her to appear yet, and I was flustered by the princess’s appearance, so I blinked rapidly and turned my head to find her.

“Unfortunately, you’re wrong, Elizabeth isn’t here yet.”

A woman with a playful air, with little resemblance to Elizabeth aside from her blonde hair and gold eyes, stood with her arms crossed, grinning as she looked at us.

… Her Highness the Princess?

Why is she here?

I didn’t hear that Her Highness the Princess had entered?

“… Greetings to the Empire’s Shooting Star, Her Highness Princess Alexandrine!”

“G, Greetings to Her Highness the Princess!”

I didn’t know what was going on, but since the person in front of me was Her Highness the Princess, I immediately bowed deeply.

Emily seemed flustered and reacted more slowly, but as soon as I bowed, she also bowed her head to greet Her Highness the Princess.

“Yes, you may raise your heads.”

“Thank you.”

“By the way, you seem young, but where did you learn such old-fashioned greetings? Calling me a Shooting Star makes me embarrassed.”

“……”

Anyone could tell she was the child of His Majesty the Emperor and His Royal Consort.

Her unique, exhausting, and difficult-to-answer way of speaking is just genetic.

“Ahaha…”

“From now on, do it simply like the young lady next to you.”

“Understood.”

I didn’t know how to answer, so I smiled awkwardly and touched the back of my neck, and the Princess pointed to Emily, made a similar request to His Royal Consort, and lightly tapped my shoulder.

Then, turning her body and shifting her gaze, Her Highness the Princess looked around and gently placed both hands on her waist, and said with an innocent expression.

“By the way, why are the other people’s necks so stiff?”

“!”

She only said in a light tone that their necks were stiff, but people twitched as if they had received an electric shock.

“Greetings to Her Highness the Princess!”

“… Greetings to Her Highness the Princess.”

And they all bowed their heads in unison, filling the banquet hall with greetings.

The Devonshire ducal family members bowed their heads a beat late with reluctant expressions, but there wasn’t a big difference.

“Wow…”

The Princess, who was standing tall among the bowing people, slowly looked around.

Is this the dignity of the eldest daughter under an emperor with absolute imperial power?

It felt like coolness was exploding and flowing out.

“Everyone may raise their heads.”

After confirming that everyone had bowed their heads without exception, Her Highness the Princess lightly waved her hand and gave the order to raise their heads.

Then, as if showing military drill, everyone sharply raised their heads and focused their attention on Her Highness the Princess.

“Then, Duke Cavendish? Or should I call you Marquis March?”

“Please call me Marquis March.”

“So, do you have anything to say about the remarks made by your grandson?”

“……”

Maintaining a smile, Her Highness the Princess narrowed her eyes and questioned him about the outrageous remarks made by Viscount Torington, revealing a grim atmosphere.

The three of them kept their mouths shut and couldn’t say anything, unlike when they were cornering me.

It was quite satisfying to see.

“… It was a slip of the tongue.”

“Oh, is that so~? The knights who guard the Imperial Palace can’t be that shabby, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

When Marquis March, unable to bear the prolonged silence, bit his lip and admitted his mistake, the atmosphere that Her Highness the Princess had been showing instantly softened, and the air that had been heavily weighing down on them lightened.

It was only a little, but I thought I saw the figures of His Majesty the Emperor and His Royal Consort, and goosebumps rose on my back.

“But Marquis March.”

“Yes.”

“Why did you come to the eve? This isn’t a place suitable for even the youngest Baron Bolton…? What is a person with great-grandchildren doing in a place where young people play?”

“Well, I thought young people these days are often undisciplined, so I wanted to give them some guidance…”

“Is it trendy these days to insult an innocent young lady by calling her a harlot when giving guidance? I don’t know much about what’s going on outside.”

“……”

“Marquis March, why don’t you answer? Or would Viscount Torington next to you like to try? Weren’t those the words you uttered yourself?”

“I’m sorry…”

“Why do you do things you’ll be sorry for? Especially in the Imperial Palace, does His Majesty the Emperor look like a pushover these days because he’s been quietly watching?”

“……”

“Oh my, look at them shutting their mouths again when they’re at a disadvantage, they’re not even children…”

Her Highness the Princess, looking at the three who had chosen to shut their mouths rather than make a mistake, as if they were frustrating, tapped her chest, and turned her back to the Devonshire ducal family members.

“On a joyous day, I came down here personally to leave boring lectures for the young lords and ladies who don’t know anything and to have a drink, but all I’m seeing are the ugly appearances of old men, I can’t tell if this is the Imperial Palace or the marketplace.”

And after muttering a lament that could barely be heard by me and Emily, she glanced back and declared like a judge delivering a sentence.

“I will report this matter to His Majesty the Emperor, so be aware of that.”

“Yes…”

I felt like my chest was opening up.

Is this absolute power?

Is this absolute imperial power?

I almost withdrew my support for the Imperial Family and became one with them for a moment.

This is why you shouldn’t get drunk on national pride or imperial pride.

“There was a slight disturbance, but now we must continue with what we were originally going to do, ahem! Ahem!”

Her Highness the Princess, who had been quietly watching the three members of the Devonshire ducal family retreating to the corner with their tails between their legs, muttered to herself, lightly cleared her throat, straightened her slightly relaxed posture, and looked ahead with a haughty expression.

“First, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone here for attending the eve of the 782nd National Foundation Day, the Empire can be maintained because of your dedication and your hard work, and we can dream of a bright future because you, who will support the Empire in the future, are here, it is truly an honorable thing.”

Her Highness the Princess paused for a moment and took a brief breath, then continued with a soft smile.

“Originally, I should just declare that we will start the eve as it is and quietly step back, but there is one thing that must be done before that at this eve.

As some of you may know, I have a younger sister who is two years younger than me, for various reasons, she has not been active externally, so her existence is not well known, but I am taking this opportunity to have her make her debut into society for the first time.”

One by one, the lights in the hall used as the banquet hall went out, darkening the place except for the stairs leading to the upper floor, and the Princess turned slightly to look at that place.

“So now, I would like you to welcome Frederica, the second daughter of His Majesty the Emperor and my younger sister, the Empire’s Second Princess, who will enter the banquet hall, with sincerity.”

“… Victoria Elizabeth Charlotte Isabella, the Second Princess is entering!”

Almost immediately after Princess Alexandrine’s words ended, the booming voice of the Imperial Palace attendant echoed in the banquet hall, and at the same time, someone appeared on the second floor.

“Ugh… Ugh… Dom, is… is that person perhaps…”

“Yeah…”

Very familiar hair, a very familiar dress.

Emily, who was holding my arm tightly, muttered in a trembling voice and pointed to the upper floor.

We couldn’t see her face properly yet because only her side profile was visible, but we could tell who the woman slowly walking on the second floor was just by her hair and dress.

The woman, who was walking towards the stairs while receiving everyone’s attention, finally turned the corner and showed her face to the people in the hall.

Princess Elizabeth, who paused for a moment and scanned the area below with a haughty expression, moved her eyes busily, fixed them on one spot, and slowly descended the stairs with a subtle smile.

Beautifully sparkling golden hair swayed with each step, and transparent and clear golden eyes were fixed on me and didn’t seem to want to move.

There were no special decorations, but the embroidery on the pure white dress and the long fur stole created an elegant and antique atmosphere.

Up to this point, it was simply a pretty and beautiful young lady wearing a pretty and beautiful dress.

However, thanks to the lighting manipulation that only a princess can do, a slightly more mysterious atmosphere was formed, making the most of the dress’s charm.

“Wow…”

“Ah…”

Everyone, without exception, stared at Princess Elizabeth with blank expressions and let out exclamations.

“Wow…!”

“Haa…”

Among those people, neither I nor Emily were exceptions.

Excluding the princess’s family, we are the people who are most familiar with Princess Elizabeth.

Nevertheless.

The princess we are seeing now was no exaggeration to say that she was the most beautiful woman in the world.